Etta Dale Junior High in El Reno went into lockdown Monday after school officials learned that a student had allegedly made a threat on TikTok, and police took the student into custody. School officials said the lockdown was put in place as a precaution to protect students and staff.
According to KFOR, El Reno Public Schools contacted law enforcement immediately after learning of the threat, and police responded by taking the student into custody. The report does not detail the student's age, the exact wording of the alleged threat, or whether any charges have been filed.
A Previous Lockdown Incident
Etta Dale Junior High was previously placed on lockdown after a threat. Both Etta Dale Junior High and El Reno High School were placed on lockdown around 1 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2018, after the secondary campus received a verbal threat, according to okcfox.com. That lockdown was cleared around 1:45 p.m. once the threat had been investigated, the outlet reported.
In the 2018 incident, a vehicle allegedly drove between Etta Dale Junior High and the Marsh Memorial Building, and its occupants allegedly yelled at several junior high and band students that they were going to “bring a gun and kill them all,” per the same account.
Social Media Threats Have Rattled Schools in Several States
Other school threats have been reported in several states. In Michigan, one report noted that “mid-Michigan has seen a spike in threats made against schools in multiple counties,” according to wlns.com, which also reported that a student was charged with several crimes after a threat was made against Williamston High School on Nov. 3.
Similar cases have played out across the country. A Hamilton County high school student was arrested in connection with a social-media post identifying five students as targets, while Miller County Schools closed early after a bomb threat arrived through Facebook Messenger shortly before 6 a.m., and Hutto Elementary School was placed under what officials called a Level 1 lockdown amid a regional threat, according to wctv.tv. The same report noted that the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office said a 13-year-old student was arrested after making threats to C.A. Gray Junior High School.
In Louisiana, two Lafayette High School students faced terrorizing charges after death threats posted on social media led to two lockdowns of the school in one week, klfy.com reported. And in Arkansas, Russellville Junior High officials kept their safety protocols in place even after police arrested a juvenile accused of making a social-media threat against the school, with police still monitoring the campus days later, according to kark.com.
No additional details about Monday's TikTok threat, the student involved, or any potential charges in El Reno have been made available.
